The Big Giant What If
by Kirihana
Summary: What if none of the Titans had gotten their powers? What if they all met in Jump City anyway? What if they were still expected to save the world? Eventual BBxRae and RobxStar. CHAPTER SEVEN UP! NOW COMPLETE!
1. Normality

The muses have called to me once more, and I am powerless to resist. Not that I want to resist, because writing is my life, however pathetic it may be. Okay, the full summary of this idea: What if the Flying Graysons hadn't died? What if young Garfield Logan hadn't gotten that tropical disease? What if Angela Roth hadn't joined the cult that worshiped Trigon? What if there hadn't been an accident that destroyed Victor Stone's body and killed his mother? What if the King and Queen of Tamaran hadn't been forced to sell their daughters into slavery? In other words, what if none of the Titans had ever gotten their powers? What if the Teen Titans had never existed? What if they all met in Jump City anyway? What if they were still expected to save the world? We're about to find out.

So you don't get confused:

Robin- Richard (Dick) Grayson

Cyborg- Victor (Vic) Stone

Raven- Rachel (Rae) Roth

Beast Boy- Garfield (Gar) Logan

Starfire- Koriand'r

Terra- Tara Markov

I do not own the Teen Titans.

**The Big Giant "What If"**

---Chapter One: Normality---

Dick Grayson looked around his new school warily. Starting high school in his junior year after being home-schooled all his life had not been his idea, but his parents insisted it would be good for him to meet more people his age and not spend all his time with the circus folk. Never mind that _they_ were circus folk. They wanted him to be normal. Dick sighed as he entered the office.

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Several of the students in Miss Sim's Algebra II class looked up when the door opened. They mostly looked up out of vague interest, because there generally wasn't any reason for the door to open in the middle of class. An embarrassed-looking boy with messy black hair and blue eyes came in. Miss Sim stopped scribbling on the chalkboard and smiled warmly at the boy. "You must be Richard Grayson. Welcome to Jump City High."

The boy didn't return the smile. "It's, uh, Dick, actually."

Miss Sim continued to smile. "All right, then. Dick, why don't you take a seat? We're discussing imaginary numbers today." Dick didn't look at his new classmates as he made his way to an empty desk near the back of the classroom, but they certainly looked at him. "He's cute," Tara Markov whispered to Rachel Roth as Dick passed between their desks. Rachel nodded vaguely, actually more interested in imaginary numbers but not willing to admit it lest she sacrifice her popularity. Victor Stone ignored the new boy, being too busy re-enacting his game-winning touchdown of the previous Friday night. Garfield Logan looked up for a moment but quickly returned to his Algebra book, feeling that the new boy would have no interest in becoming friends with the class clown/nerd. Dick sank down into his desk and opened his new book, paying complete attention as Miss Sim tried to teach the class a song to remember the rules that went with imaginary numbers. Not that the rest of the class paid their teacher such courtesy. Not that he cared.

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Garfield Logan winced as the back of his head was slammed against a locker. He hated this. Oh, how he hated this. The only reason the jocks liked to pick on him was that he was the only junior small enough to actually fit into a locker. It wasn't his fault he was short and skinny. They blamed him anyway. Gar had woken up that morning feeling today was destined to be different. At the moment, he wasn't holding out much hope for the accuracy of his intuition.

"Leave him alone," a serious voice said. The jocks paused in their activities, one of them with his fist three inches away from Gar's face. Gar turned as best as he could to see who had dared to stop the rulers of the school. It was the new kid, Dick Grayson. Gar sighed. This guy wasn't much bigger than he was, and he had no idea what he was in for.

Dick had been taught from a very early age to treat all people with respect, no matter how they treated you. He had also been taught that the world had more than enough bullies already. It didn't need any new ones bred in high schools. So when he saw several hulking guys beating up a boy from his Algebra class, he felt that he should do something about it. The jocks eyed him, sizing up his possible strength and abilities. And then they laughed, because Dick was not very tall or particularly strong-looking. They didn't know that he had trained as an acrobat since he'd learned to walk. They judged him as a normal kid. Their mistake. When the jocks had cleared out with several bruises each, Dick turned to the guy he'd rescued. "You okay?" The kid was roughly five foot five, with mousy brown hair and brilliant green eyes. "Yeah, now. Thanks."

"No problem. I'm Dick Grayson, by the way."

The kid grinned. "Gar Logan. Do you have lunch this period?" Dick nodded an affirmative. "Cool. I'll show you around."

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"Two hours at our school and already he's committed social suicide," Tara Markov said, shaking her head. "Such a shame. He had potential, if he'd fallen into the right hands." Rachel Roth turned to see what her friend was talking about. Dick Grayson was sitting at a table with Garfield Logan, the two of them talking as though they'd been friends for years. Rachel figured that Garfield would be a better friend than any of the popular set, but she didn't mention that. Tara instantly forgot the boys a few tables away. "Okay, what did you all think of the episode of our show last night? Rae?" Rachel spouted exactly what she knew Tara wanted to hear, kind of hating herself for it.

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Dick, however, had noticed the girls' casual glances and was now taking a moment to observe them. One was the perfect stereotype of the leader of a group of popular girls: long blond hair and big blue eyes with perfectly coordinated clothes and accessories. Her friend was no less well-dressed, but she had dark, possibly purple hair and eyes that were more violet than blue. Gar realized who Dick was looking at. "Forget it, dude."

"Who are they?" Dick asked.

"The blond one is Tara Louise Markov, most popular girl in school. Homecoming Court every year and elected Miss Jump City High her freshman year, a thing previously unheard of. The other is Rachel Veronica Roth, second most popular. Wins every lead in every play the Drama club produces, but by virtue of her friendship with Tara has avoided the label of 'drama geek.' On that note, Tara's more of a drama queen than Rachel is. Rachel's actually pretty quiet. They've been best friends since first grade, when Tara moved here. Rachel was nicer in kindergarten, but most kids are. Tara is so shallow that you won't even get your feet wet. As for Rachel… I think most people would either drown or be crushed by the pressure before they got down to where she likes to swim, but she pretends to be as shallow as Tara. They are surrounded at all times by a posse of Tara's clones, who monitor who gets near the main two and who doesn't. Tara has dated and supposedly slept with the entire football team except Vic Stone, who is reportedly her next target. Rachel doesn't officially date at all, but goes out with groups. They're like day and night. Basically they are out of our league in every possible way."

"How long have you had a crush on Rachel?" Dick asked with a smirk. Gar pretended that his cheeks didn't turn pink. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said squeakily. Dick smiled but let it go.

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Gym was his last class of the day. Dick actually looked forward to this class. He smiled to himself when the coach declared the game of the day to be dodge ball. The girls groaned, while the boys whooped in excitement. They were separated into teams, and the game began. Dick had no trouble avoiding every ball that came his way and less trouble returning them with perfect accuracy. His training with his parents paid off in games like this. At last there were only two players left, one on each side: Dick and a wide-shouldered African-American boy he vaguely remembered being in his Algebra class. His opponent threw the ball with good aim and a lot of power behind it. Dick leapt into the air and went into a beautifully executed spinning flip, throwing his last ball just as he landed. The other boy didn't even have time to dodge. "Out!" called the coach. Dick's teammates cheered and the other team moaned, but for their final player. He approached Dick. "Nice move, man." He held out his hand. "I'm Vic Stone." Dick smiled, recalling Gar's comment about Tara. He shook Vic's hand. "Dick Grayson."

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Rachel sat in her last period Theatre class, for once not paying attention to the teacher. She was a good student; it was part of the whole perfection personified package that went with being popular. She got away with breaking some of the rules because Tara was lenient only for her, but she knew that there was one rule she would never be able to break and still maintain her status. Lately she wondered if she even wanted to be what she had spent years becoming. As she watched Garfield Logan meticulously paint a set piece for the upcoming show, she felt that the answer was no. She had not forgotten what good friends they'd been in kindergarten, and she had not forgotten the hurt in his green eyes when she'd snubbed him in favor of Tara in first grade. Since then they had avoided each other. Now, eleven years later, Rachel did not like what she was. She despised the closet full of brand-name clothes that her hard-working, single mother could barely afford. She hated that her "friends", with the exception of Tara, had no idea she lived in a small two bedroom apartment in the shabbier side of town. Tara drove over there in her BMW and picked Rachel up everyday. Tara had not been such a snob when they met, but by the time Rachel realized what her friend really was, she also knew that Tara could destroy her social reputation for the rest of her academic career without even batting an eye. Rachel hated that she was a coward. For years she had cared more about what people thought of her. Now she hated herself, and she didn't want to. So she would have to do something about it. Gar felt her eyes on him and turned around. When he saw who was looking at him, he returned to the set piece quickly, blushing. Rachel gave a very tiny sigh.

---End Chapter One---

Now that Dick has met most of the team, the story can really get going. Starfire will show up, but I don't know when yet. But don't worry; I'm not leaving her out. Tell me what you think! I like reviews, especially nice ones!


	2. Superficiality

Things really start to get going in this chapter, and Starfire comes in! I had to replace this one because I realized the paragraph breaks were missing. Sorry to those who struggled through it already! Enjoy!

Warnings: Mild language.

I do not own the Teen Titans.

---Chapter Two: Superficiality---

The fact that Vic Stone joined Dick Grayson and Garfield Logan at lunch the next day was the subject of conversation at almost every table but theirs. Tara Markov was shocked. "How dare he do this to me," she hissed to her friends. "After all of the effort I have put in-"

Something inside Rachel snapped. "Tara, shut up."

All of the girls stared at Rachel as though she had lost her mind. She glared back at them. "I am tired of pretending that I agree with you and that you're always right about everything. You aren't, and you and your Gucci heels can go to hell." She picked up her lunch and walked calmly over to the table where the three boys sat. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

They stared at her in amazement. Vic grinned. "I wondered how long it would take you to get tired of Tara's shit. Pull up a chair, Rae."

Rachel slid into the chair next to Gar. He continued to stare at her. If she were a flirt, like Tara, she would have smiled and said something sickly-sweet. But Rachel had just renounced all things Tara-like. So she glared at him. She was starting to enjoy glaring at people. "Can I help you?"

"No," he squeaked before turning to his sandwich. Vic laughed, and Dick fought off his grin. "Harsh, Rachel."

"Raven," she said firmly. "I don't want to be Rachel anymore." She didn't have to give any more of an explanation. The boys exchanged a look and smiled, showing that they understood. "Raven it is."

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Word quickly spread (as it does in high schools) of Rachel Roth's descent into the lower levels of the teenage hierarchy and her new identity as Raven. Equally astonishing was that Vic Stone also abandoned his previous friends for the three outcasts. Tara's underlings and the rest of the football team had decided the blame lay with Dick Grayson. It was his appearance that had caused the mutiny, and he would have to be dealt with accordingly. But they were not willing to deal with him unless he was alone, and Dick was never alone. At least one of his new friends was in each of his classes, and the four were inseparable outside of class and school. So the snubbed popular ones had no choice but to leave him alone for the moment. Tara watched the four friends carefully, searching for any clues that might help her take psychological revenge.

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Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran stared at the planet. It was so blue and green, so different from her own world. Koriand'r's hands clenched into fists. Her world had been destroyed. She would not allow that to happen to Earth. She would find them, and all would be well again.

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"Dude, I'm telling you, Duke Starhopper could so kick Garth Vapor's ass."

"In your dreams, little man! Did you even see episode eighteen?"

"Fine, we'll ask someone else's opinion. Dick?"

"Actually, I've never watched Clash of the Planets. I don't watch much TV."

Raven couldn't help smiling just a tiny bit as Gar and Vic both stared at Dick as though he'd just said he had never flushed a toilet. They then resumed the argument they had everyday at lunch. Dick sighed in relief and picked up his sandwich. Ham and provolone on wheat with lettuce and tomato, the same thing he ate every day. Gar preferred peanut butter and jelly on white bread, though he did experiment with the flavors. His current favorite was chocolate peanut butter and kiwi jelly, a combination that Vic had declared disgusting. Vic himself was a hard-core carnivore, devouring a foot-long sub with three kinds of meat and most of the large bag of potato chips they all shared. Raven didn't talk much at lunch, so she had time to observe her companions taste in food. The boys respected her desire not to speak and listened- really listened- when she did. She loved that. Everything about her new "self" was only what she wanted it to be. For her own lunch she was currently on a sushi kick, and today had oniigiri she'd made for everyone. They expressed their appreciation, as Raven had proven to be an excellent cook and usually willing to share her creations. She didn't miss being Rachel at all. Looking at her friends, Raven had a sudden vision of the four of them being in another place, a room decorated in red, black, and yellow. Gar's skin and hair were green and Vic looked to be mostly robotic. There was a girl with orange-toned skin, long dark red hair, and green eyes brighter than Gar's sitting near Dick, who wore a black mask over his eyes. Raven herself was wearing a blue cloak. And then the vision faded and she saw only three normal boys in front of her. Raven blinked but didn't say anything about the vision or the slight headache that followed it, and the boys had no idea anything had happened.

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That afternoon they decided to go to the mall. There wasn't really any purpose in them going to the mall, but that is what they chose to do. The four walked in a line, shoulder to shoulder. They took up most of the walkway, but none of them cared. Raven liked to be second from the end nearest the stores, since that position meant she ran into the fewest people. Dick would walk on her right and Gar on her left. Vic took the end with the most collision risks, since he was the biggest and passers-by avoided running into him. They were passing the Gap when Raven saw the girl from her vision literally appear in the middle of the mall. She stopped short, and her friends stopped too. "Raven? What is it?" Dick asked. Raven didn't answer but walked towards the girl. Her friends followed, curious and worried. The girl spotted them as they moved closer and smiled brightly, closing the gap quickly. "Shmardar! Silgos famribeen sconart!" The four friends blinked. "Any of you guys get that?" Gar asked. Raven, Vic, and Dick shook their heads. The girl looked dismayed. "Skigal gwarmif?" When she didn't get a response, she grabbed Dick and kissed him. The other three blinked. The girl released Dick, who looked absolutely stunned. The girl smiled brightly again. "Friends, it is so good to see you! I am pleased to have found you so soon." She received four stares.

"Friends?"

"Found us so soon?"

"Who are you?"

Only Raven was silent. The girl blinked. "I am Koriand'r of Tamaran. I was under the impression that you would be expecting me…"

"Starfire…" Raven said softly. They all looked at her. "We called her Starfire, and we had other names too…" She sank onto a nearby bench, her hand going to her forehead. Her friends moved closer, concerned. "Raven, are you okay?" Dick asked. She shook her head. "I don't know. I'm remembering things that never happened, but not like they were dreams. They feel so real…"

Gar turned to Dick, worried. "I think we should take her home."

"You're right. Vic, can you drive us to Raven's house?"

"Sure, but what do we do with… uh, Starfire… in the meantime?"

"She comes with us," Raven said. "She can stay at my house, but she has to come with us."

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This was the first time the boys had been to Raven's apartment, but none of them commented on its size or location. She found herself loving their friendship more and more. Her headache was lessening too. Her mother had left a note on the refrigerator saying she would be working late and wouldn't be home until eleven. Vic and Gar managed to help Raven settle on the couch before she waved them away, impatient with their babying. "Sit," she insisted. Everyone obeyed, Gar joining her on the couch and Vic taking the armchair, leaving the loveseat for Dick and Starfire. Dick waited until everyone was settled before turning to Raven. "What's going on?"

Raven sighed. "I didn't tell you, but I had… I guess you could call it a vision… at lunch today. It was the five of us, and everyone but Starfire looked different. It went away almost as soon as it came, so I dismissed it. I had a tiny headache afterwards. Then when we met Starfire…" Raven took a deep breath. "I saw it. All of it. The way things could have been; the way they should have been. Nothing here- the way we are, the way our lives have gone- none of it is real. This life shouldn't exist."

---End Chapter Two---

Starfire's Tamaranean dialogue is completely made up. You'll find out why Raven gets woozy after every vision soon. Stay tuned for the next chapter, coming as soon as I finish it! Review please!


	3. Reality

This took a little longer than I though it would, because I got stuck halfway through. But now I'm giving you chapter three! Aren't you happy? Enjoy!

I do not own the Teen Titans.

---Chapter Three: Reality---

Raven's friends stared at her in shock. She looked down, regretting having said anything at all. She must sound crazy… Gar's hand tentatively touched her shoulder. She turned to him. His eyes said that he believed her, and she gave him a tiny smile in return. Dick and Vic exchanged knowing glances. Starfire bit her lip before speaking. "Friends, I would like also to hear what Raven has seen, but I came to Earth for a reason that I must make known." They all turned to her, and she continued hesitantly. "I came from a planet called Tamaran. There I was known as Koriand'r. Three weeks ago my planet was destroyed by a race called the Krogs. My sister and I were sent away just before it happened. I do not know what has become of her." She paused and chose not to voice her fears with regards to Komand'r. "The Krogs intend to take over this galaxy, and there are rumors that Earth is their next target. I came to prevent Earth from meeting the same fate as Tamaran."

Dick blinked. "Um, not to rain on your parade or anything, but… how?"

Starfire looked away, ashamed. "I do not know. I came expecting the things Raven seems to have seen, but that is not what I found. On my planet I was only an okarum, and little was expected of me."

"What's an okarum?" Vic asked.

Starfire thought about it. "I believe the equivalent word would be 'teenager'."

Dick smiled. "We're all teenagers, Starfire."

Gar turned to Raven again. "What did you see, Rae?"

Raven stood up and walked over to the living room window. "I saw…" She stared off into the distance at something none of the others could see.

"_Man, you are not going to deny me the all-meat experience!"_

"_So, uh, who else never want to go surfing again?"_

"_They went into my room. No one should ever go into my room."_

"_Someone has disposed of all our blue furry food!"_

"_Who is Slade?"_

"_Titans, go!"_

Raven groaned and started to collapse. Gar was at her side instantly to catch her. She let him hold her as she closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. Gar watched her, worried. When Raven could stand on her own again, Gar helped her back to the couch. "I saw us, but different. We had superpowers, and we fought crime. We called ourselves the Teen Titans. You know that empty little island out in the harbor? We lived in a t-shaped tower there. Just the five of us, no adults."

"What about our parents?" Vic asked.

Raven swallowed hard. "Most of them were dead. Dick, yours were killed in some circus accident, but it wasn't really an accident. Bruce Wayne adopted you and taught you everything. He was a hero called Batman, and you were his sidekick Robin, until you two fought. Then you came here, to Jump City. You were the only one who didn't have actual powers, just gadgets." She turned to Vic. "You were involved in an accident too, and it killed your mother. Your father managed to save you by turning you into a cyborg. That was what we called you, Cyborg." She turned away from Vic's shocked expression, finding each tale harder to tell. "Starfire's parents had to sell her and her sister into slavery when they were young. That was where they both learned to fight. Starfire eventually escaped and found us. Her sister Blackfire became a criminal, and we had to face her several times." Raven looked down, not able to face Gar as she told him, "Gar's parents were zoologists, and when he was little they took him to Africa with them. He caught some disease there, one they couldn't identify. His father worked night and day to find a cure. Gar almost died, but at last his father made an antidote. It worked, but it also turned Gar's skin and hair green and gave him the ability to transform into animals. Then his parents were murdered. He was eventually adopted by the Doom Patrol, but he left them and came to Jump City, where he joined the Titans." Gar swallowed hard, trying not to dwell on the painful information Raven had just given him. "What about you, Rae?"

Raven got that distant look in her eyes again, but this time it wasn't because she was having a vision. "In this reality, my mother never told me who my father is, and I've never asked. In that reality, when my mother was young she joined a cult. They gave her to the demon they worshiped, Trigon, as his bride. She escaped to a place called Azarath, where I was born. Because of my father I was born with powers, and the Azar, high priestess of Azarath, taught me to control them. I eventually came to Earth too, and I found all of you. I resisted your friendship, because I was the portal through which Trigon would one day come to Earth. When that day came, you all stood by me. We managed to defeat Trigon and seal him back in his own dimension. My mother guards that seal." She waited, praying that this wouldn't cost her the one thing she held dear: their friendship. Raven was not disappointed.

"So the question now is," Dick said slowly, "what do we do about it? We don't have powers, and if Starfire is right about the Krogs…"

"Earth is royally screwed," Vic finished. "I mean, it's not like the media or anybody would believe us if we told them."

Starfire looked sad. "Than we can do nothing but wait until the end comes."

Dick got a hard, serious look in his eyes that none of them had seen before- except for Raven in her visions. "Or maybe one of Raven's visions will tell us how to beat the Krogs."

Raven opened her mouth to reply, but Gar spoke first, standing up. "You can't ask her to do that! It's not like she can control what she sees, and in case you haven't noticed, the visions don't seem to be doing anything for her health."

Raven couldn't explain why, but she felt flattered by Gar's defense underneath the stronger annoyance. It was still the stronger feeling that she gave into. "I'm fine, Gar. If the Earth is going to be attacked, we have to do anything we can to save it."

Gar sat down, his eyes clearly saying he didn't believe she was fine. Raven sent a glare back at him that said to shut up. Dick sat back, watching the pair. "Then we're agreed. We will do everything we can to save the world."

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Getting Starfire enrolled in the high school was tricky, since it involved a small amount of hacking. To everyone's surprise, Jump City High's best football player was also an accomplished hacker. "Just something I do for fun," Vic told them when they all stared in amazement as he set up a fake record for Starfire under the name Kori Anderson.

Less difficult was facing the rest of the school with this new addition to their group. Dick, Gar, Vic, and Raven were also used to the stares and glares they now received daily, but Starfire had grown up as a princess, loved and adored by her people. She had trouble comprehending why these people she didn't even know disliked her so much. She didn't mind walking around holding Dick's hand, though, for all that Vic and Gar teased him endlessly about it. Raven just smiled. Inside she worried for not only their future but the present that should have been, and she wondered what her next vision would tell her. Gar was the only one who suspected that each vision hurt Raven more than the last, and he hadn't said anything since the meeting at her house. Three days passed without another vision, and Raven started to wonder if it had all been her imagination.

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Komand'r surveyed the planet. It was so green and blue, and disgustingly beautiful. Her sister was somewhere down there, on Earth. Komand'r smiled. It would be a pleasure helping the Krogs destroy it, just as she had helped them destroy Tamaran.

---End Chapter Three---

Okay, teensy-weensy bit of our favorite pairings, but those will slowly develop as the story continues. And now Blackfire has entered the picture! What will happen next? I don't know… but stay tuned to find out! Review please!


	4. Brutality

I decided not to drive you all nuts and make you wait for this chapter… Just kidding, I wouldn't have done that. They're getting hard to write, since I still only have a vague idea of where this is going (I have the end already; it's just a matter of how we get there), but I promise to do my best. Enjoy!

I do not own the Teen Titans.

---Chapter Four: Brutality---

The five were very suddenly having a bad day. The jocks had finally gotten enough confidence to take them on, even though it meant fighting one of their own. They had cornered the group near a set of lockers, encircling them slowly. Dick instinctively pushed Starfire behind him. Vic cracked his knuckles, ready to fight. Raven's hand went to her forehead and she felt her knees weaken as another vision came on. "Not now," she whispered, annoyed at herself and afraid for her friends. Gar caught her as she fell, his concern only for Raven. The other three watched their bullies warily.

"Gar," Dick said sharply. The shorter boy looked at the group's default leader. "Yeah?"

"Take Raven to the nurse's office."

Gar nodded and adjusted his hold on Raven so he could carry her. Two jocks instantly blocked his way. Gar glared at them. "Let me through."

One of the jocks grinned. "And what if we don't?"

Dick's flying spin-kick, hitting the speaker from the side, answered the question. "Go, now!" he yelled to Gar. The boy took off as best as he could, trying not to drop Raven. The jock Dick had kicked rubbed his jaw. "Let him go," he said to his comrade, who was about to run after Gar. "He's not the one we want." He turned to Dick again, a sadistic grin creeping onto his face. "That's the one we want."

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_Raven read the spell three times before she got up and gathered the ingredients from her supplies. The words were complicated and the amount of power required for the spell substantial, but the ingredients were fairly common ones. She poured and measured carefully. All five Titans were sick of the superhero game. Today Starfire and Beast Boy had nearly been killed. True, Raven had managed to sufficiently heal them on the spot and both would survive without any permanent physical damage, but she had seen the looks in all of her friends' eyes. _

_She had seen Beast Boy's fear of dying so young. _

_Starfire's sadness at leaving her friends._

_Robin's guilt for allowing the two of them to get hurt so badly._

_Cyborg's painful acceptance of the facts._

_She had been the one whose heart cried out in strong denial, much to her own surprise. So when the five of them had finally made it home, Raven had gone straight to her room, locked the door, and started going through her spell books. None of her friends thought it unusual. None of them knew what she was about to do. Enough was enough, Raven thought. The five of them deserved to be normal teenagers: Starfire on her planet with her people, the boys on Earth with their parents, and… _

_Raven paused. To be normal meant for her that Trigon was not her father and she had never seen Azarath. She too would have lived on Earth, with her mother._

_Raven finished setting up the spell and began to chant. This would make everything better._

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Dick went down hard when a jock punched him in the face. Vic was already grappling with three others, so there wasn't anything he could do about it. Starfire, however, saw her newest and closest friend go down, and it let loose a fury stronger than any she'd ever felt before. Starfire's eyes glowed with a strange green light. Equally bright balls of energy formed around her hands. She flung a starbolt at the jock who had punched Dick, sending him flying. The others, even Vic, stopped and stared at her in amazement. "No one hurts my friends," Starfire said firmly. The jocks exchanged looks and ran, not willing to deal with a super-powered alien girl. Starfire rushed over to Dick, who was sitting up with a pained expression on his face. He smiled at the sight of her. "I'm okay, Star."

"But you were hit very hard…" she protested.

He stood up carefully, grunting in mild pain. "Yeah, but I've been hit harder. We should check on Raven and Gar."

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Raven gasped and her blue-violet eyes snapped open as she sat straight up. In an uncomfortable chair next to the nurse's cot she was on, Gar jumped, surprised by her sudden movement. He blinked at her. "Raven?"

Raven stared past him in horror. "It was me, Gar. I cast the spell that made this happen. It's my fault the Earth is going to be destroyed." He stood up and went to her, and she cried into his shirt as he hugged the girl he'd been in love with since kindergarten. They didn't say anything. They couldn't have even if they'd needed to.

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By the time Dick, Vic, and Starfire had made it to the nurse's office (after a long talk with the principal, during which all three received detention for a month), Raven had already been sent home. Gar was also gone, and the bell rang for class, making it impossible for them to go find him, since they were at the end of the day and Starfire had gym with the other two boys as her last period. Dick assured them that he would call Gar, and Starfire promised to report on Raven's condition.

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It turned out that Dick didn't have to call Gar. He called the young acrobat himself, asking to come over and talk. Mrs. Grayson answered the door and directed Gar to the kitchen, where Dick sat doing his homework. Dick pushed his Algebra II book aside.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Gar held up a stack of papers. "These visions Raven's been having? I researched stuff like it on the Internet. I printed out almost everything I found. None of it's good. When an actual psychic has a vision, there's a little drain on their energy, but they're fine. If what she sees is true, Raven wasn't meant to be a psychic in this reality. Each vision puts more strain on her mind."

"Her headaches."

Gar nodded. "Yeah." He swallowed hard. "If she keeps having them…"

Dick looked at his friend. "What'll happen?"

"She'll die."

Dick looked away. "Such is the price of salvation."

Gar slammed his papers on the table. "Bullshit! Do you want her to die?"

"No. But if the things she sees can help us save the world, isn't one life worth it in the grand scheme of things?"

Gar took a deep breath. "Not when it's hers. I'm not going to let her die."

Dick snorted. "And how are you going to stop destiny?"

"I don't know yet."

Dick's eyes hardened. "Then I suggest you find out before you start complaining again."

Gar stared at him. "What are we going to do, Dick? What are we going to do if Raven dies and we still can't save the world? We're just five teenagers, without superpowers, messing with forces and things that we can never hope to understand! How the hell are we supposed to save the world?!"

"Dick, is everything all right in there?" Mrs. Grayson called from the living room.

"Everything's fine, Mom," Dick replied. He lowered his voice again. "Look, I don't know how we're going to pull it off. I just know that somehow we will."

Gar turned away. "Being normal sucks," he said quietly. He turned again to pick up his papers, and then he left. Dick went back to his homework.

---End Chapter Four---

So now you know what happened, and our favorite pairing is slowly building. What do you think? Review please! I love all of my reviewers, by the way. This story has the most reviews for the smallest number of hits out of all my stories, and I don't consider that a bad thing. Y'all are awesome! Yes, I just said "y'all." Funny thing is I'm not really Southern.


	5. Physicality

After two long months of nothing… I have at last returned to this story! Yayness and other such rejoicings! You guys missed me, right? This chapter was hard, and the story just keeps getting harder, so I work harder. Here is the long awaited chapter five, so enjoy!

Warnings: Brief language. That's why this is rated "T", after all.

I do not own the Teen Titans.

---Chapter Five: Physicality---

Gar sat on his moped outside Raven's apartment building, waiting. A petite figure, their face shrouded by their sweatshirt hood, emerged and climbed behind him onto the moped without a word. Gar didn't say anything either as they rode off. He knew what they were doing was stupid. They both knew it. Neither of them cared anymore.

--------

Starfire dropped the curtain she'd been holding aside once Gar and Raven were out of sight. She listened carefully. Raven's mother had been kind enough to allow her to stay with them, and Starfire felt guilty for assisting in deceiving her. At the moment, however, Angela Roth was too deeply involved in _Desperate Housewives_ to have any idea that her daughter had left the house. What with working two jobs just to support them both and barely getting five hours of sleep on a good night, the woman took her pleasures where she could. With a deep sigh, she opened the window and, after checking that she was not being watched by any people below, flew out.

--------

"Why don't we just run away, Raven? Get out of Jump City and never look back." Gar knew even as he said it what the answer would be. It felt like their lives now only consisted of asking questions they already knew the answers to, simply to avoid the questions they didn't want answered. It was strangely fitting how Raven and Gar were currently sitting at a small table in the middle of Jump City's hottest teen club, surrounded by people dancing and shouting and innocently enjoying their lives, yet they felt and acted as though they were completely alone. They didn't have to yell to hear each other. Raven sipped at her drink (a Sprite, continuing her denial of all things Tara) before responding, exactly as Gar knew she would. "We can't do that, Gar. We're in too deep now."

Gar sighed. "I know."

"Well isn't this cute. Dorky and the Geek."

Raven didn't bother to turn. Gar glared at Tara.

She only smiled and raised her glass, filled with some fruity concoction of the sort that Raven used to gag down when they were friends. "A toast. To the nerds!"

Raven's eyes flashed, and for a moment Gar expected the two girls to erupt into a fight of black and gold energy. Wait, where had that idea even come from? Suddenly Raven visibly paled, and her hands clenched on the table edge. "Gar, take me home please. Now."

Gar slid off his seat and caught Raven just as she fell off hers. She hadn't lost consciousness yet, but she could barely stand and it was only a matter of time.

Tara smirked. "Have a little too much to drink, there, Rae-Rae? Who knows, maybe if she's drunk enough you'll get lucky tonight, Garfield."

Gar didn't reply. He just held Raven close, keeping his green eyes locked on her blue-violet ones. Tara became annoyed at his lack of response and moved on without another insult. Gar and Raven slowly made their way outside. When they got to his moped, Raven leaned against the wall of the building. "I saw Tara in the other reality. She and I didn't get along," she whispered.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Gar asked. Raven nodded vaguely. Gar smiled slightly in relief. "Good, 'cause I-" She kissed him, cutting off whatever he was about to say and completely wiping it from his mind.

Some kisses are simple. Even if it's more than just a peck on the lips, it's a simple thing. For two normal people, the first kiss is important but generally simple. You kiss, and if it was good then you part and blush. Maybe you kiss again, but it's still pretty basic. Raven and Gar's first kiss was incredibly, intensely complicated by everything that had happened to them in the past week and by the things they feared were coming in the future. They knew that the way things were going, love and relationships were incidental and practically pointless. Neither of them cared. So they somehow ended up practically making out next to his moped in front of Jump City's most popular teen hangout.

--------

Dick held a hand up in front of his face, stopping Starfire's movement toward him. "Star, we can't do this."

The green-eyed alien sat back, confused. "We cannot do what?"

Dick ran a hand through his unruly black hair. "This… this kissing-hugging-boyfriend-and-girlfriend thing. We have a world to save, and that's what we have to focus on right now."

"There's no point anymore, man," Vic said as he entered the Graysons' living room. Dick and Starfire both stared at him. "Your mom let me in… Am I interrupting something?"

The pair on the couch blushed. "No," Dick said firmly. Starfire's face fell. Vic raised an eyebrow. "Okay, then…"

"What do you mean 'there's no point anymore'?" Dick asked.

Vic shrugged. "What I said. There's no point in dwelling on all the shit that's going on, because it's just going to end too soon for any of it to matter. So, you two up for the mall or something?"

Dick stood up instantly. "Anything. Just let me tell my parents we're leaving."

--------

They ended up not browsing in any of the stores or wandering the mall itself but in the food court, crowded around a table with a large pizza. Garfield and Raven showed up holding hands. No one asked how they knew they were there, though it seemed too significant to be mere coincidence. No one asked what was going on between the two. The five just sat around the table, eating the pizza and laughing at everything. When the first pizza was gone, it was suggested that they get another. That sparked an argument between Gar and Vic about toppings. It was a playful argument, the sort that served to enhance rather than destroy their friendship. While they went at it, the other three just ordered a cheese pizza, solving the problem through compromise. It was fun for all of them, and blissfully normal. After all, if the world was going to end, shouldn't they at least take a few short hours to just be teenagers? It was too good to last, and they all knew it. They just didn't know how soon their brief peace would end.

"Hello, little sister. I never pictured finding you in a place like this."

All five of the friends became silent at the sound of the voice. Something about it wiped the joy from them, and only one knew why. Starfire was pale, but calm, as she turned around. "I could say the same of you, Komand'r."

The others looked at the newcomer. She had the same skin tone as Starfire and somewhat similar features, but her hair and eyes were dark.

"Blackfire," Dick, Victor, Raven, and Gar whispered. They remembered Raven's visions about Starfire's sister.

"What do you want with Starfire?" Dick asked, his blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Blackfire looked the acrobat over appreciatively. "So you go by Starfire now, do you?" she asked her sister, the black eyes still on Dick. "How amusing. To answer your question, though, I don't want anything from my dear little sister beyond cooperation."

Starfire blinked. "Cooperation in what, sister?"

Blackfire laughed. "In the destruction of Earth, of course."

---End Chapter Five---

I know, I know, I finally update and I leave you with a cliffhanger. But BB and Rae got their moment at last! Isn't it great? I can almost guarantee that Chapter Six will not take as long. Thank you for reading, and please review!


	6. Fatality

One more chapter after this. That's about all I have to say, so… Enjoy!

I do not own the Teen Titans.

---Chapter Six: Fatality---

Tara Markov dreamed of being famous.

She didn't know what she wanted to be famous _for_, she just wanted to be important. Because no matter how many people she put down, and no matter how many girls in their school wished they could be her, Tara knew that at the end of the day it meant nothing in the grand scheme of the universe. She hated the thought of being a nothing.

And yet nothing is exactly what she became when a laser fired by a Krog ship ended her life and her dreams.

--------

The five teens stared at Blackfire. She laughed again. "It's not that I need your cooperation," she continued. "I certainly don't need your help. Even as we speak, the Krogs are attacking this pitiful little planet."

Starfire looked at her sister, finally understanding. "You let the Krogs into the palace. You led them to our parents!"

Blackfire yawned. "Really, little sister, are you that clueless?

Brilliant green starbolts formed around Starfire's hands as she launched herself at her sister. Blackfire jumped back in surprise but formed her own pink starbolts. The two of them fought, neither gaining the advantage. Starfire's friends watched in fear and amazement, not sure of what they should do to help.

And suddenly Raven understood what had to be done. She whispered to Vic to look after the other two and pulled Gar away. Vic didn't even have the chance to protest their leaving. Blackfire punched Starfire and sent her flying into a table and several chairs, and Vic was too busy running after Dick to say anything.

--------

Raven let go of Gar's hand once they were out of the mall, but she continued to walk at a swift pace. She passed the moped in the parking lot and kept going.

"Rae, what are we doing? We have to help Star!"

"We can't help her, Gar." She paused as a flash of light, undoubtedly from a Krog ship's laser, lit up the sky to the east. "We can just barely help ourselves."

"Raven, what are you talking about?" When she didn't answer, Gar grabbed her hand and forced her to stop. "Look at me," he said sharply. She turned. Raven's blue-violet eyes were not sad. They were calm and accepting. Accepting of what, Gar didn't know. "Where are we going, and why?"

"We're going to the bank across from the park."

Gar gave her a moment to continue, but she didn't. Instead Raven started walking again. Gar ran to catch up with her. "Why?" he repeated.

Raven took a deep breath. "Our decisions dictate what path our lives will take. We reach a crossroads, make a decision, and continue. It was my foolish decision that got us into this mess. I'm going to fix it."

Gar didn't like the sound of that. "But why the bank?"

"Because that is a place significant to the Titans. Many of our fights took place there. It's an appropriate place for me to die, don't you think?"

Gar froze, staring at the back of Raven's royal blue sweatshirt as she kept walking. "No," he whispered. He ran after her again.

--------

Starfire smiled gratefully at Dick as he helped her stand.

Blackfire laughed. "Oh, how cute. I'll just leave you two lovebirds to die then, okay?" She turned, only to be faced with a football player considerably bigger than her.

"No," Vic said. "It's not okay."

Vic lived in a nice neighborhood. His parents were well-off, and his house was definitely on the higher end of the price range. So technically, there was no good reason for him to carry a knife around. He didn't show it off, so it wasn't to make him look cool. He just carried it.

As he thrust the blade into Blackfire's abdomen, he was kind of glad he did.

--------

"You can't die!" Gar shouted at Raven.

She was tempted to laugh at him, but that would have scared him more. "Everyone dies, Gar."

"But I lo-"

She put her hand over his mouth. "Don't say it. There is no point in saying it. I am not going to change my mind about this, no matter how we feel about each other. So don't even bring it up."

Gar hated feeling helpless, now more than ever. They were at the bank. Apparently the Krogs weren't on this side of Jump City yet. "Now what?"

"I don't know," Raven admitted. Saying she was going to die was one thing. Figuring out how it would happen was another thing entirely. As if to answer her dilemma, a sharp pain went through her head. Raven sank to her knees, coughing. Blood covered the hand that went up to cover her mouth.

"Raven!" Gar shouted.

It was the last thing Raven heard before she slipped into blackness.

--------

_It was a parade, to honor the Teen Titans. _

_Then it was a picnic, just the five of them having fun in the park as if they were normal, all the while knowing perfectly well they were not. _

_Beast Boy and Cyborg playing video games. _

_Cyborg winning and Beast Boy furiously demanding a rematch. _

_Robin yelling for both of them to shut up after Cyborg beat Beast Boy twelve times in a row. _

_Starfire glomping Robin from behind, making the admonition entirely ineffective. _

_Raven using her powers to cover everyone's mouth with duct tape so she could have enough quiet to read without having to get up and go to her room. _

_The secret joy she felt when she levitated, because it was just like flying. _

_The little smiles she wore when she and her friends relaxed after a battle, because it was the only time they got to be teenagers and heroes. _

_The pain of Terra's betrayal, multiplied because she could feel everyone's hurt. Beast Boy's was the worst, and it was possibly the first time Raven could remember that she felt like crying. Not that she let anyone know, of course. _

_Starfire and Robin kissing in Tokyo, because those two had been destined for each other from the beginning. _

"_A giant chicken. I must be the luckiest girl in the world." _

"_You think you're alone, Raven, but you're not." _

"_We're having a moment here. Don't ruin it." _

"_I thought you could use a little luck." _

_They weren't the only ones. _

--------

Dick and Starfire stared at Vic in shock, much like Blackfire did. But then he pulled his knife out of her and she slipped to the floor. He put the knife away. "Did I kill her, or just hurt her really bad?" he asked Starfire.

The Tamaranean princess couldn't take her eyes off her sister's body. "The wound was fatal," she said softly. "Blackfire is deceased."

Dick looked at her. "Are you all right?"

Starfire turned to him. "Physically I am unharmed. My psyche will need some time to heal."

"I'm sorry," Vic said. "Something had to be done. It was a pretty drastic something…"

"You think?" Dick muttered.

"Yeah, well. The point is that I'm sorry."

"You need not be full of sorrow," Starfire told him. "My sister, had she been brought to trial for the crimes she committed on our home planet, would have been sentenced to death. That she is already dead saves time."

Vic shrugged. He'd never killed anyone, and it was affecting him far more than he let on. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I know just the place," Dick said firmly.

--------

Raven woke up in Beast Boy… no, she had to tell her foggy, pain-racked brain, _Gar's_ arms. Her headache was still present, and she knew it wouldn't be long now.

"What did you see?" Gar asked. He knew it was the wrong thing to say; she was dying! Was she dying? What would he do if she really died?

"I saw life," Raven murmured. "I saw the way life is supposed to be for us, Gar, and it was good. There were bad times, but there were more good times. You have to make sure that the world has good times again, okay?"

Gar smiled, shifting her in his arms. What else could he do? "Okay."

What else could he say?

---End Chapter Six---

And Chapter Seven will be the last chapter of this fic. I'm really sorry about all the slow updates, but you'll be glad to know that Chapter Seven is already finished, so I'll probably post it on Monday. In the meantime, please review!

Seriously. If you liked it, loved it, or even hated it with the fire of a thousand suns, I want to know. Review!


	7. Finality

This is the final chapter. I hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far, and I hope you enjoy this part as well.

I do not own the Teen Titans.

---Chapter Seven: Finality---

In another time, the Teen Titans had been the most powerful force for good present in Jump City.

In another time, a young acrobat became the protégé of the Dark Knight before leaving his mentor to become a leader in his own right.

A princess was enslaved and then escaped to happiness with new friends on Earth.

An athlete lost his body to an accident only to gain a new one through the advances of technology.

A green-skinned orphan left the only real family he'd known to find new confidence in himself with a team of his peers.

The daughter of a demon withdrew from a home where she was feared to discover there was more to her destiny than what others had assigned to her.

In another time, a popular blond girl was just a lonely child who betrayed the only friends she ever had.

That was another time, and that was how things were meant to be. No matter how much they all wished it wasn't.

--------

Gar carried Raven to the park across the street and laid her on a bench.

"Well, this isn't the way I always pictured I'd die," Raven said.

Gar stared at her. "I can't believe that after everything that's happened, you start making jokes _now_."

Raven tried to smile, but she coughed up blood instead. Gar held her up, his hands trembling. "Raven…" There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't remember half of them. Even if he could, in this moment, he couldn't find the words. "Raven, I…"

"Shh." She put a blood-stained finger to his lips. "I know. Me too. You have a world to help save, Gar. Don't waste time worrying about me."

Gar swallowed with difficulty. He couldn't do this. He couldn't just watch her die. He had to know. "Raven, in that other reality, were we...?"

Raven managed the smile this time, but just barely. "You'll have to wait and find out. Go, Gar. My part is finished." She closed her eyes, and though Gar waited, they did not open again. He laid her gently down on the bench. He didn't cry. She would have gotten mad at him if he did.

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_Raven smiled slightly to herself as she stacked the dishes, perfectly aware of her husband's eyes on her as he made his way from the dining area to the living room. He thought she didn't notice, but she knew. Another pair of pale hands took the dishes from her. Raven blinked in surprise at a pair of eyes identical to her own. The only difference between Birdy and Raven at her age was the long braid of purple hair hanging over her teenage daughter's shoulder. _

"_We'll clean up, Mom," said Kitty from Raven's other side. Birdy's twin did have the same haircut their mother had had as a teenager, but her eyes were the same sparkling green as their father and younger brother's. "You go… have fun." Kitty even had the inherited mischievous glint in her green eyes, especially when she smiled like she did now. _

_Raven raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?"_

_Birdy and Kitty exchanged a look. "Completely," they said in unison. _

_Raven laughed. "All right." She left the girls to the cleaning and walked into the living room, where her husband and their son were watching television. _

_Mark grinned as his mother passed him and stood up, brushing his green bangs out of his eyes. "I think I'll go help the girls," he said casually before leaving the room. _

_Raven sat down next to her husband. Gar looked at her, a grin not unlike Mark's spreading across his green-skinned face. "Not very subtle, are they?"_

_Raven smiled back. "No, they aren't."_

--------

Gar went to the little empty island just off the shore in Jump City's harbor. It wasn't hard for him to get there; he'd always been a good swimmer. He didn't know how he was so sure that the others would be there, but he knew they would be. He was right. Vic was pacing anxiously, muttering darkly as he did so. Dick held Starfire's hand. Neither of them said anything. All three looked up when Gar climbed out of the water.

"Where's Raven?" Dick asked when Gar had reached the spot in the middle of the island where they stood.

"Gone," was the simple reply. Starfire gasped and turned to cry on Dick's shoulder. Vic looked troubled. Dick's expression only saddened slightly as he patted Starfire on the back, soothing her. "Did she say what she saw in her last vision?"

Gar looked away. "No." Well, it was partly true. He didn't know what Raven had seen as she died, and now he would never know. "She just said that we had a world to save, and her part was finished." Oh, the cruelty of being normal. It meant that when people needed saving, you couldn't do as much about it as you would like. Gar understood now. "And she's right. Rachel Roth's part is finished." He paused again, his gaze focused on the general direction of Jump City Memorial Park. "Garfield Logan's part is finished."

"Victor Stone's part is finished," Vic said softly.

"The part of Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran is finished," Starfire added.

They all looked at Dick. "Richard Grayson's part is finished," he said at last. The friends all paused, temporarily ignoring the loud explosions and flashes of light in the distance that signified the end of the world as they knew it. There was no flash of light or sound of any kind where they stood, and yet suddenly everything was different. Gar's skin and hair were green. Vic's body was mostly mechanical. And Dick's clothes changed to a brightly colored costume, his eyes now hidden by a thin black mask. They all felt the change and stared at each other in amazement. Memories of battles and villains and living in Titans Tower came flooding back.

On a bench on the far side of Jump City Memorial Park, a blue cloak appeared around Raven's shoulders. Blue-violet eyes snapped open.

Robin looked up into the skyline, gazing at the glow the fires and explosions caused. His arm was still around Starfire's shoulders, and hers was around his waist. She squeezed him reassuringly. He looked at Cyborg, who grinned as his arm changed into his sonic cannon. Next Robin turned to Beast Boy, who nodded.

Robin focused on the city. "Titans," he said. "Go."

---The End---

I know, I made you wait all this time, and that's it? Yeah, that's it. It was just an idea I was playing around with, and this was the result. You know they save the day. It's how things work. Thank you to all of my reviewers, especially those of you who stuck with the story even after the long delays in updates: HiGirl, Ego916, Frosty Pickle Juice, shikamaru's hot honey, dark blades of chaos, Agent of the Divine One, schemily200, Blueyedgirl, Princess-of-Azerath, CrystalMoon0889, SithKnight-Galen, peninhand9, reader, Kelly, hyperactivegothkitty, and Moving Mountains.

Now for something else… How many of you liked the parts with Rae and BB's kids? I'm still iffy about my next story, and they're heavily involved. Please tell me what you think! Thank you for reading, and for the last time (on this story, anyway), please review!


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